First Post. Just started roasting coffee a few months ago. Started with a
Coffee Press Gift for Christmas and in researching grind and why it tasted
so much better, I came across the whole roasting experience. Anyway, thanks
to all for the help and insight in your posts and contributions. I am having
a blast and even my mistakes are surprisingly good. I started with the air
pop method and have bumped up to a breadmaker heat gun.
Anyway, I have been able to do everything at a relatively minimal cost with
yard sale materials, and in looking for a temperature probe, and I got one
on sale at Lowes. Its a Taylor digital probe type thermometer on amazon
its the *Taylor #806 Weekend Warrior Digital Instant Read Thermometer *and
was 12 bucks. It says it has a range to 500 degrees and is the cheapest
thing I have seen other than the metal/dial one $4.00 one at walmart I had
previously picked up.
I was curious as to opinions about using this for coffee roasting. I
tried it with a batch tonight, It seemed okay and about right for the 1st
crack temperature and then I took the batch to 435 reading and stopped. I
am happy with the color and smell of the beans. Will one of the more
expensive ones such as is sold on sweetmarias really be better or will I be
fine with this one.
I had been borrowing a mechanic type infrared gun for measuring temp, but it
seemed to bounce around a little. I was pretty happy with it, but figured it
was reading higher than the internal temp because it was picking up the
heat released at the surface. The probe seems to have a consistent
temperature climb and was about 5 degrees less that I guess the average heat
gun temp was.
Anyway, just looking for opinions. Thanks again for the assistance.
--
Jim and Rachel Haynes
The life which is unexamined is not worth living--Plato
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the
LORD--Lamentations 3:40
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2) From: miKe mcKoffee

Welcome to the List, enjoy the Journey!
As long as the temp readings are consistent doesn't really matter if your
1st crack temp reading is the same as someone else's for the same bean. You
simply use the temp readings as a tool to know where you are in the roast.
When discussing relative temps with someone you can calibrate discussion
using crack temps for a given or at least similar bean.
IMO a good bimetal can do a good job profile roasting. Big thing is keeping
it calibrated, important any thermometer if attempting to use a given
profile for a given bean... Don't forget things like batteries on a digital
thermometer can bite you and your readings as they get weak!
Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffeehttp://www.mckoffee.com/Ultimately the quest for Koffee Nirvana is a solitary path. To know I must">http://www.mcKonaKoffee.comURL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc:http://www.mckoffee.com/Ultimately the quest for Koffee Nirvana is a solitary path. To know I must
first not know. And in knowing know I know not. Each Personal enlightenment
found exploring the many divergent foot steps of Those who have gone before.
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